01 ↗
PDF↖
Choose your PDF
Drop in a document or browse your device. No account or email address required.
FREE PDF & IMAGE TEXT EXTRACTION
PDF & image
to text. Free.
Extract editable words from PDFs, photos, scans and screenshots. Use the PDF converter here, or switch to image OCR — no account, no file uploads to our servers.
No account needed OCR for scans Private by design
YOUR WORKSPACE
100% FREEPDF to text converter
Drop your PDF here
or click to choose a file from your device
PDF files up to 25 MB
Processed in your browser. Your file is never uploaded to Extract Text Now.
Leave blank for the whole document. Example: 1-3, 5, 8.
✦✱✓
Your documents, your business.
We don't store or read your PDFs.
ALSO FREE · PHOTO OCR
Have a photo or screenshot instead?
Our image to text converter recognises printed English words in JPGs, PNGs, WebP images and screenshots. Paste a screenshot or add up to five images to copy the results or download a TXT file — privately in your browser.
Convert an image to text⌁Stay in control
Your document stays on your device, not on our servers.
▧Keep the page context
See text separated by page, with individual copy buttons.
⇩Take your text anywhere
Copy it directly or download a plain .txt file.
SIMPLE BY DESIGN
Three steps. That's it.
From a PDF on your computer to text you can edit, search and reuse.
02 ↗
⌕
Extract the words
Choose all pages or a range. Turn on OCR if the PDF contains scanned images.
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✓ READY
Copy or download
Read your results page by page, copy a section, or save everything as a .txt file.
KNOW YOUR PDFTwo types of PDFs.
Two types of PDFs.
One straightforward tool.
How the text was stored in the PDF determines which conversion method works best.
FASTEST OPTION
Selectable text PDFs
PDFs exported from Word, Google Docs and many online forms usually contain real text. Extract Text Now can extract those words directly, preserving basic line breaks.
- Usually much faster than OCR
- Works well for reports, contracts and notes
- Complex columns and tables may need tidying
OCR AVAILABLE
Scanned or photographed PDFs
A scan is a picture of a page. Turn on OCR to recognise English text in image-only pages. Quality depends on sharpness, rotation and the original print.
- Useful for paper scans and old documents
- Slower than direct text extraction
- Always proofread numbers and names
Not sure which type you have? Try selecting a word in your PDF viewer. If you can highlight individual words, direct extraction should work. Read the full guide →
MAKE YOUR PDF USEFUL
Words you can work with.
Practical ways to use extracted text while keeping the original document intact.
Find information faster
Search long text, identify sections and locate key terms without scrolling page by page.
Edit and summarise
Move text into your notes or word processor to reorganise, correct or summarise it.
Prepare research notes
Work with quotations, meeting notes and extracts more easily, while checking against the source.
Make text easier to read
Copy plain text into a reading tool or adjust its font and size in your preferred app.
LEARN THE DETAILS
Browse all guides ↗Helpful PDF guides
Aa→TXT
HOW-TO GUIDE · 5 MIN READ
How to copy text from a PDF without losing the meaning
Find the right method for a short excerpt or an entire document.
Read guide ↗▦
OCRPDF BASICS · 4 MIN READ
Selectable PDFs vs scanned PDFs: what actually changes?
Learn when OCR is needed and how to improve scanned text accuracy.
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TROUBLESHOOTING · 6 MIN READ
Why extracted PDF text sometimes looks strange
Understand columns, line breaks and tables — and how to fix them.
Read guide ↗GOOD TO KNOW
Frequently asked questions
Clear answers about privacy, quality and the conversion process.
Is Extract Text Now really free to use?
Yes. You can extract and download text without paying or creating an account. The site may display advertising in the future, but that won't change the basic free converter.
Do you upload or save my PDF?
No. PDF reading and text extraction happen locally in your browser. We do not upload, save or inspect your document. Your browser may download the software needed to run the converter and optional OCR.
Can I convert a scanned PDF into text?
Yes, if you tick “Use OCR for scanned pages” before converting. OCR recognises printed English words in an image. Results can contain mistakes, especially with handwriting, poor scans, small print or skewed pages.
Can I choose which pages to convert?
Yes. Leave the page box empty to convert the entire document, or enter pages such as 1-3, 5, 8. Page numbering starts at 1, matching the PDF reader's page order.
Does this preserve tables, fonts and images?
No. The output is plain text, not a recreation of the original page. Visual layouts, formatting, images and some table structure are not preserved. For complex layouts, compare the result with the PDF.
Why might a PDF fail to open?
Some documents are encrypted, damaged or unusually large. This converter supports unprotected PDFs up to 25 MB. Password-protected files must be unlocked in your own PDF software before extraction.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Convert a PDF now ↗Give your PDF a fresh start.
Private, practical and free — turn a document into words you can use.